New construction · Seminole County
New construction roofing in Seminole County, FL
In Seminole County, 12.3 percent of homes were built in 2010 or later, so most new roofs go onto streets of older houses. A new roof here is built to the code edition in force when the permit application is filed. Right now that is the 2023 edition, with a new one coming at the end of 2026.
Updated October 2026
Our work
New construction roofing in Seminole County, in short
Seminole County had 199,565 housing units in the 2020–2024 survey, and 12.3 percent were built in 2010 or later. A new roof needs a permit from the Seminole County Building Division, a state-approved product, ring-shank sheathing nails, a dry-in method and passed inspections before final.
Local growth
How new homes are changing Seminole County
The county counted 193,790 housing units in the 2020 Census and 199,565 in the 2020–2024 survey. That is 5,775 more units. Single-family detached homes make up 61.4 percent of the stock, so most new roofs are the pitched shingle, tile or metal kind.
Homes built before 1980 are 29.1 percent of units, and the median home dates to 1988. That suggests a new build usually sits beside much older roofs. Your insurer and neighbors will compare the two.
Code edition
Which code edition your Seminole County permit falls under
Your application date decides the code. Plans filed now meet the 2023 Eighth Edition, in force since the last day of 2023. Filings on or after December 31, 2026 must meet the Ninth Edition, so the date you submit matters more than the day work starts.
Seminole County sits outside the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, which covers only Broward and Miami-Dade. Roofing here follows the standard residential chapters, not the stricter Miami-Dade product testing. Confirm the wind speed for your lot with the Seminole County Building Division when you apply.
Roof build
Roof deck, underlayment and product approval
Framers must fasten the roof deck with ring-shank nails. The code names 2 1/2 inch by 0.131 inch nails as the standard choice. Smooth nails fail the inspection. Ask your builder which nail the crew loaded in the gun.
The dry-in step offers three code paths. You can use self-adhering membrane over the whole deck, tape or membrane over every deck joint plus underlayment, or two layers of felt. The felt option is nailed 12 inches apart in the field and 6 inches apart at laps.
Shingle drip edge goes over the underlayment and is fastened at most 12 inches apart. It tightens to 4 inches where the design wind speed is 110 mph or more. After Hurricane Milton brought gusts of 60 to 75 mph and locally 84 mph, those fastener spacings are not a small detail.
Florida Statute 553.842 puts roofing under mandatory statewide product approval. Ask for the Florida product approval number for each roofing product on your Seminole County job. You can check it in the Florida Building Commission lookup before the material is delivered.
Build schedule
Timing the roof around the build and its inspections
Inspections run in a set order on a new house: foundation, framing, sheathing, exterior wall coverings, then roofing, then final. The sheathing check can be a dry-in inspection or a separate one at the contractor's request. The roofing check covers dry-in, insulation, coverings and flashing.
Your permit expires if work hasn't begun within 6 months of its issue date. Work that sits idle for 6 months also voids the permit. A weather-delayed or loan-delayed lot can hit that limit, so ask the Seminole County Building Division before the clock runs out.
Rain shapes the schedule here. Sanford's 1991–2020 normals show 24.49 inches of rain in June through August, about 45 percent of the year. Plan to have the roof dried in before summer so framing and sheathing stay dry.
A builder may install asphalt shingles itself only on its own new building. Installing tile, metal or membrane roofing falls to a contractor holding a certified or registered license. Ask who actually holds the roofing license on your job.
Paperwork
Notice of Commencement, private providers and the one-year builder coverage
Before the first inspection, you need to file the Notice of Commencement and display it at the job site. The permit card cautions that without it you could end up paying for the improvements a second time. Check with the Seminole County Building Division on its recording steps.
You may choose a private provider for plan review or inspections under Florida Statute 553.791. That provider must be a licensed building code administrator, engineer or architect. The fee owner, or the contractor with written owner authorization, makes that choice.
Since July 1, 2025, a builder must cover defects in material or workmanship for 1 year after title transfer or first occupancy. That 1-year coverage excludes wear and tear and acts of God. Read your contract for how a roof leak claim is reported.
New construction
New construction roofing by town in Seminole County
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Questions
New construction roofing in Seminole County: questions
Do I need a permit for a roof on a new home in Seminole County?
Yes. Roofing on a new house is part of the building permit, and the Seminole County Building Division is the county permit office. The roofing inspection covers dry-in, insulation, coverings and flashing before final. Your contractor should also record the Notice of Commencement and post it on site before the first inspection. If your lot is inside a city, check whether that city runs its own building office.
Source: Seminole County Building Division, read Oct 5, 2026
Which building code will my new roof follow?
It follows the edition in force on the date your permit application is submitted. The 2023 Eighth Edition came into force on December 31, 2023. Filings made on or after December 31, 2026 will be governed by the Ninth Edition. If your plans are close to that date, ask the Seminole County Building Division which edition your filing date triggers.
Source: FRSA, "New 2023 FBC Eighth Edition is Now in Effect", 2024-02-13, read Oct 5, 2026
Does Seminole County require Miami-Dade product approvals?
No. The High-Velocity Hurricane Zone is Broward and Miami-Dade only. Seminole County roofing needs statewide Florida product approval, which you can look up by FL number in the state commission's search. A Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance is valid elsewhere only where the local building official allows it. Ask the Seminole County Building Division before you rely on one.
Source: FBC-Building 2023 Chapter 2 definitions, read Oct 5, 2026
Can my general contractor install the shingles himself?
Only in one case. A general, building or residential contractor may install asphalt or fiberglass shingles on a new building of his own construction. Work on tile, metal or membrane roofs should be handed to a contractor who is certified or registered. In Seminole County, where single-family detached homes are 61.4 percent of housing units, many new builds are shingle roofs. Ask to see the roofing license number on your job.
Source: Florida Statutes, section 489.113 (2026), read Oct 5, 2026
What does the one-year builder coverage on a new home include?
It covers defects in equipment, material or workmanship that cause a material violation of the Florida Building Code. It runs 1 year from title transfer or first occupancy, whichever comes first, for homes built since July 1, 2025. It excludes wear and tear, settling, owner-caused defects and natural disasters. Hurricane Milton, which affected 554 Seminole County structures, would fall under that last exclusion.
Source: Florida Statutes, section 553.837 (2026), read Oct 5, 2026
Do new homes need gutters in Seminole County?
Often yes. Florida's residential code requires gutters with downspouts where eaves project less than 6 inches, except at gable ends or over another roof. Downspout outlets need to sit at least 1 foot out from the sidewall. With 49.63 inches of rain a year at Orlando Sanford, that water needs somewhere to go.
Source: 2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., Chapter 3 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), read Oct 5, 2026
Seminole County
More in Seminole County
Sources for this page(40)
- 1.Housing units (2020 Census): 193,790. U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census (TIGERweb tigerWMS_Census2020 MapServer: POP100, HU100, AREALAND, AREAWATER). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 2.Housing units (ACS 5-year): 199,565. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 3.Single-family detached share of housing units: 61.4%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 4.Hurricane Milton (2024). NWS Melbourne, County Impacts Associated with Milton (2024). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 5.NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (annual/seasonal), access-data API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 6.U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census (TIGERweb tigerWMS_Census2020 MapServer: POP100, HU100, AREALAND, AREAWATER). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 7.NWS Melbourne, County Impacts Associated with Milton (2024). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 8.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API, table B25024. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 9.Share of homes built before 1980: 29.1%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 10.Median year homes were built: 1988. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 11.U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API, tables B25034/B25035. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 12.Permit office: Seminole County Building Division. Seminole County Building Division. Read Oct 10, 2026.
- 13.Seminole County Government, Building Division. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 14.Share of homes built 2010 or later: 12.3%. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (acs2024_5yr), via Census Reporter API. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 15.FRSA, "New 2023 FBC Eighth Edition is Now in Effect", 2024-02-13. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 16.Miami-Dade County RER notice. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 17.FBC-Building 2023 Chapter 2 definitions. Read Oct 5, 2026. FBC text read from UpCodes (unofficial transcription): check floridabuilding.org or the ICC viewer before quoting (spec 8.7).
- 18.2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., Chapter 8 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026. FBC text read from UpCodes (unofficial transcription): check floridabuilding.org or the ICC viewer before quoting (spec 8.7).
- 19.2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., Chapter 9 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026. FBC text read from UpCodes (unofficial transcription): check floridabuilding.org or the ICC viewer before quoting (spec 8.7). Source URL inherited from COM-29 (the research cites it "as COM-29").
- 20.Florida Statutes, section 553.842 (2026). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 21.Florida Building Commission. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 22.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 1 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026. FBC text read from UpCodes (unofficial transcription): check floridabuilding.org or the ICC viewer before quoting (spec 8.7). Source URL inherited from C-3 (the research cites it "as C-3").
- 23.Florida Statutes, section 489.113 (2026). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 24.Florida Statutes, section 553.791 (2026). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 25.Florida Statutes, section 553.837 (2026). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 26.miamidade.gov. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 27.2023 Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th ed., Chapter 3 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026. FBC text read from UpCodes (unofficial transcription): check floridabuilding.org or the ICC viewer before quoting (spec 8.7).
- 28.U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census (TIGERweb tigerWMS_Census2020 MapServer: POP100, HU100, AREALAND, AREAWATER), U.S. Census Bureau. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 29.Seminole County Building Division, Seminole County Building Division. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 30.Florida Statutes, section 713.135 (2026), Florida Legislature. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 31.Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, inspections FAQ (updated 2026-03-17), Citizens Property Insurance. Read Oct 4, 2026.
- 32.2023 Florida Building Code, Building, 8th ed., Chapter 15 (UpCodes viewer, unofficial transcription), UpCodes (Florida Building Code transcription). Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 33.City of Oviedo, Online Building Permit Applications, cityofoviedo.net. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 34.City of Winter Springs, Documents & Forms (Community Development), City of Winter Springs. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 35.City of Lake Mary, After the Storm Permitting Guide, lakemaryfl.com. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 36.NWS Melbourne, Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Ian (2022), National Weather Service. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 37.NWS Melbourne, Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Matthew (2016), National Weather Service. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 38.NWS Melbourne, Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Irma (2017), National Weather Service. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 39.NWS Melbourne, Post Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Nicole (2022), National Weather Service. Read Oct 5, 2026.
- 40.NWS Melbourne, Lightning Information Center, National Weather Service. Read Oct 5, 2026.
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New construction roofing in Seminole County
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